Electrical pressing-iron.



A. E. REIMERS.

ELECTRICAL PRESSING IRON.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 2, 1911.

Patented 005.27, 1914.

I INVENTOR WITNESSES:

Arm/mm Arm]: E. BEIMEBS, or NEW Yonx, N. Y.

nnncrnrcan Panssme-mon.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 2, 1911. i

' Patented Oct. 27, 1914. Serial No. 858,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. REIMERS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Pressing- Irons, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof. in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to electrical pressing irons of the class containing interiorly located high resistance conductor embodying the heating medium.

Heating devices of the character named require means for regulating the heat supply, whereby they may be employed for pressing materials of widely different texture and quality. This has been accomplished by various methods, the most common being the employment of a rheostat or external resistance which reduces the current by increasing the total circuit resistance; but the heavy current necessarily employed for an electrically heated iron requires a large rheostat to dissipate the heat developed, thus the cost of equipment is high. Further, the watts lost in this external resistance increases the cost of operation.

Another common method is to provide two windings, or heaters, in the iron, with a switch for connecting them, first in series, second one only in circuit, and third both heaters in multiple. This gives a heat ratio of l, 2 to 1 and 4 to 1, an impracticable range for pressing irons, for if the third heat is adjusted to give the maximum sup ply required the first is too low to be of any service, and the difference between the second and the third is too great to admit of even approximate regulation; also, a complicated switch is required to make and break these combinations with such rapid motion as to minimize the effect of the arc, which cannot be entirely eliminated with this system, and, on account of their frequent use, thecontacts are soon destroyed.

The object of my invention is to eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages by providing a resistance unit for pressing irons which is so constructed as to permit of a graduated control of heat; which admits of the necessary expansion and contraction without liability of injury to its elements, and comprises a compact closely connected arrangement of heater and regulator which is simple in construction and economical in operation and admits of a very close regulation.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a single layer heating resistance which is in itself controllable; which is simple and economical in construction, requirmg only two insulating sheets; which contams no taps, contacts or joints in the heater, and in which every turn and section lies directly against the surface to be heated, whereby a controllable heater-resistance unit is provided which is adapted for use between metal plates of a fiat iron or other heating device, and which comprises a minimum of insulation and resistance material, with a maximum efficiency. I

The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1, is a plan view of my improved pressing iron shown partly broken away, and having its handle removed; Fig. 2, a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, is a diagram illustrating the operation of the invention.

In the practice of my invention, I employ an iron body A, comprising the two cast metal sections 1 and 2, between which is placed the heating element B; which said element comprises independent resistance coils b, 0, l and e, composed of flat wire and having their layers separated by means of non-inflammable insulating tape f, of any suitable material, as asbestos, said coils being arranged on a horizontal plane one within the other. The said heating element is electrically separated from the iron body by means of mica sheets C, these contact directly with the coils, thus permitting the heat generated to be imparted to the iron.

To confinethe heat to the bottom or smoothing part of the iron and keep the upper part in a cool condition, a sheet D, composed of asbestos or analogous material is placed over the heating element.

Fulcrumed within a recess of the upper part of the iron is a resilient metal lever E, having a handle F, which is composed of insulating material, said lever being insulated from the iron by means of the insulators 3 and 4. This said lever contacts successively with the metallic contact-posts 5, 6,

7 and 8, which are mounted on the insulator block G. Binding posts 9 and 10, are mounted upon an insulating block H; are in electrical connection with the supply conductors 12 and 13.

The inner terminal of the inside heating coil 2' is in electrical connection with the post 5, and it leads upwardly through the upper sheet of mica, the asbestos D and the insulator block G. The outer terminal of said coil also leads through said insulators and is in electrical connection with the post 6. The inner terminal of the next coil 0, also leads to the post 6, and its outer terminal leads to the post 7. The inner terminal of the next coil (1?, leads to the post 7, and the outer coil thereof leads to the post 8. lhe inner terminal of the outer coil e, leads to the post 8, and the outer terminal of said coil leads to the post 9, which is in electrical connection with the source of supply 1, by means of the conductor 12. To complete the circuit a conductor 14, connects the post 10, with the post 15, which is in electrical connection with thelever E.

in operation, when full resistance is required, the leverl is placed in contact with the post 5, as shown in the drawings; when less resistance is required said lever is moved to the next post 6, thus cutting out the inner coil, and so on till the last post 8, is reached. Or the lever may be moved back and forth and arbitrarily connected with any one of the said posts to produce the required regulation of the heat supply.

in moving the lever F, laterally over the contacts 5, 6, 7 and 8, contact is made with one before it leaves the other; operator should accidentally lift the contact or free end of the lever arcing is liable. 'lo oloviate this liability a conductor 16, connects the post 15, with the post 5, thus maintaining a constant circuit.

In the example of my invention herein shown and described the four contacts giving four diii'erent heats are suflicient to provide a heat ratio of 2 to 1, without sparking or arcing at contacts. This is all that is required in practical use for small irons. In larger sizes taking heavier currents one or more additional heats may be provided to keep the potential'dilierence between adjacent contacts below the non-arcing value.

Owing to the novel construction and operation of this invention, actual tests show that it is extremely economical in the use of current, saving as high as 40% over irons regulated by external resistance.

While l have illustrated and described my invention as a pressing-iron, l do not confine myself to this use, nor to, the specific construction shown, as under the scope of these but if the my invention, I believe I am entitled to structural variations required by heaters other than sad-irons. For instance, the heating element may be successfully used in stationary heaters such as boilers, plate warmers, etc.

From theforegoing description and accompanying drawing it is readily apparent that my invention embodies a compact, selfcontained, controllable-heat fiat iron in which a number of heats providing a gradual increase or decrease of resistance may be obtained with a simple contact lever that accomplishes said variations of resistance in a single flat unit without separate coil or external resistance and without unbalancing the distribution of heat.

I am aware that fiat-irons have been made with a plurality of coils arranged so that an additional coil vmay be'connected in multiple to increase the heat, also that a rheo= stat has been used with a fiat iron either connected from a distance or mounted upon the device. I therefore do not claim anything of this character.

laying thus described my invention, what if claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. in an electric heating device, the combination, with a metal casing comnrising two sections; of a heatin element located between said sections an consisting of a high resistance conductor comprising a pinrality of coils wound one upon the other, in a single plane, said coils having extended leads, said leads formed integral with said coils, and contact posts connected to the free ends of said leads, and a switch-lever adapted to successively electrically engage said contact posts to regulate the heat supply,

a substantially as shown and described.

E. An electric heating element comprising a plurality of coils wound in a single plane, insulating material separating the turns of the coils, insulating plates bearing upon opposing surfaces of all of the coils and maintaining said coils in the same plane, and contact posts wholly beyond the coils to which the coil terminals are connected, the respective terminals of any one coil being connected to adjacent independent nests, whereby the coils are arranged in series through all of the posts.

In testimony that, 1 claim the foregoing as my invention, 1 have'signed my name in presence of two Witnesses, this 30th day of October, 1911.

Cnanrns F. Wmoox, M. STERN. 

